Another Shade of Blue

The boy was from a foreign village, had just threatened to kill his own siblings, and didn't even look at her twice, but there was something screaming inside Naruto Uzumaki to not let him walk away. "W-wait," she called out, catching an indifferent teal gaze, "Who are you?" fem!Naruto, GaaNaru

x

Sasuke Uchiha was reclining against two plush pillows, his hands splayed out on the plain navy blanket pulled up to his legs. The medics had left all of the minor scrapes and burns in his body alone, but bandages had been wrapped around his neck and lower collarbone. When he heard their footsteps, he looked up at them with haunted coal-black eyes. A hint of relief entered them, when both of his teammates drew chairs around his bed, and sat down.

Then he looked down at his hands. "Dobe," he said listlessly, "They told me what you did to the Cursed Seal. Thank you."

A blonde eyebrow rose. "Are you sure you're medically cleared to apologize, teme? I know how much stress it puts on you to admit that you're wrong."

The teme looked up and scowled at her. "Obviously not any more than it takes for you to accept my gratitude with any grace."

"Naruto! If someone thanks you, then you should accept it nicely," their final teammate interjected, a note of censure in her tone. "And Sasuke-kun, your gratitude would be better off, if you didn't insult her in the next sentence. Orochimaru's seal was dangerous, and we were lucky that Naruto was able to help with it, before bringing us to the Tower."

The novelty of Sakura chiding her beloved Sasuke-kun seemed to stun them long enough for her to continue. "I'm glad that you're awake now, Sasuke-kun. I was worried about you. Naruto was too."

"Was not," the Uzumaki muttered rebelliously, "But seriously, did the Hokage or Kakashi-sensei talk to you about what happened?"

"Kakashi-sensei said that they have no way to get rid of that creep's seal now, but they'll be asking a famous seal master to come to the village and look into it," the teme admitted, his tone simmering with anger, "I'm not the first person to have it. This man- Orochimaru- branded me like cattle."

"He wouldn't have done it if you bothered to listen to me," Naruto said flatly, "I told you that he was in the forest, and wanted to steal your Sharingan."

"You did," the teme acknowledged, "I didn't listen."

"No, and your arrogance almost led to all of our deaths," the blonde continued, looking directly at him.

Their other female teammate tried to intervene. "Naruto, he's not the only one to-"

"You didn't understand the severity of the threat, Sakura," the blonde countered ruthlessly, "You do now, but Sasuke was born into a clan of dojutsu users. He knew that it was his duty as a Konoha nin and an Uchiha to do everything in his power to keep the Sharingan out of enemy hands. Even a hint of Orochimaru's presence should have seen him withdraw from the exams. People have sacrificed more than a potential promotion to keep those eyes within Konoha."

"But Naruto, don't you think you're being too harsh?" Sakura bit her lip, looking from the placid features of one teammate to the dark blue eyes of the other.

"She's not," the teme finally said, "I brought the team into the forest. If Orochimaru wasn't playing with us, then we would have all died. When the exams are over, I'll request a reassignment in teams."

Sakura's face was a perfect expression of horror. "You can't do that!"

"You really can't," Naruto added, her voice shifting into a matter-of-fact tone, "The Hokage assigns the fast-course genin teams for a one-year contract. Those can be repealed by a majority vote on the Shinobi Council, but that's a conservative group that will never allow a precedent like that to be set."

"I'll change their minds," the Uchiha's hands clenched, and the blonde saw that he had started to tremble, "I can't work with you two any longer. Team 7 is making me weak."

"Fuck you, teme," the blonde's voice pitched higher, "Let me tell you what happened in the last exam. You lost our Heaven Scroll and fainted in the forest, while Sakura and I fought off the Snake's minions, passed the test, and dragged your sorry ass to the Tower! And you have the nerve to sit there and claim that we're holding you back?"

"That's not what I mean!" The Uchiha's voice rose too, "I'm leaving Team 7 for your protection. It's dangerous for you two to be around me!"

"Why? Because Orochimaru is after you?" Naruto snorted, "You're not the only high-profile target in this team, teme. And why should we freaking care?"

"Zabuza was out of our league too," Sakura pointed out, in a small voice, "He wasn't after you Sasuke-kun, but he would have killed us, if you and Naruto didn't destroy his water clones."

"I'm not talking about Orochimaru," the teme snapped, "I'm talking about me. I'm dangerous to you!"

"The little boy sitting in the hospital bed?" Naruto taunted, "Yeah, I'm quivering over here. Want to borrow one of my kunai so you'll have a weapon in your hands?"

"This isn't a joke dobe," the boy's coal-black eyes looked desperate, "You told me to trust you in the forest. Why can't you trust me now?"

"I was honest with my information in the forest," the Uzumaki refuted, "You're asking me to take a leap into blind faith after showing the most irrational reaction to battle trauma that I've ever seen."

"I can't tell you, because you wouldn't understand!"

"You don't know that, because you refuse to even try!"

"STOP!" Sakura shouted, once again stunning her two teammates into silence. When Naruto looked at her, she saw that the pinkette had a red face and jade eyes brimming with tears. "I- I agree with Naruto, Sasuke-kun. You can't ask us to trust you, without trusting us in return. Does this secret have to do with your brother?"

When she saw the look on her crush's face, the pinkette offered, "I read about Itachi Uchiha in one of the reference texts in our history book's appendix."

Despite herself, Naruto snorted. "I think you have to be the only student in Academy history to read the references. No, I take that back. Itachi-kun would have done that too."

"Itachi-kun?" The teme repeated in disbelief. "You knew my brother?"

Naruto cringed, as she realized that she had just inadvertently given away one of her biggest secrets. "I did. He was one of the few people that gave a damn about me when I was a kid."

The dark-haired boy looked at her blankly. "Itachi Uchiha is a madman."

'A madman with the most peaceful chakra-scape that I'd ever felt. He rightfully wore the weasel mask, since he managed to trick everyone,' the blonde reflected darkly. "Yes, he is. But before he snapped and killed his entire family, he would sometimes visit my house, share a meal, and tell me a story."

"He never told me that he knew one of my classmates," the teme's brow furrowed, "No, he did. You were the kitsune with the ink-black paws?"

Naruto's face reddened, as she was reminded of her favorite imaginary tale. "He was my hero."

The words seemed to strike a deep chord inside of the Uchiha, because when he looked back at her, his eyes were tired and understanding rather than defensive and critical. "Before Itachi attacked the clan, he developed a unique pair of eyes. They were called the Ma-"

"Mangekyou?" Naruto interrupted, shocked, "How do you know about the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

"Itachi told me," the teme answered dumbly, "How do you know about the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

"Um, Naruto? Sasuke-kun?" The pinkette raised her hand, "You moved on ahead of me. What's the Mangekyou Sharingan, and why would Naruto be called a kitsune?"

"The Mangekyou Sharingan is a unique mutation that can only be gained by killing someone precious to you," Naruto reported grimly, "And Itachi called me a kitsune, because… well… do you know what a jinchuuriki is?"

The teme looked at her blankly, but Sakura's jade green eyes narrowed in concentration. One could almost see the gears whirring within her mind.

"They were used in the last war by every village other than Konoha," the pinkette said slowly, "The power of a human sacrifice… none of the villages would have given there's up… but the Kyuubi attacked- and the adults said that the Yondaime- but he wouldn't- we would have known- Naruto?!"

"You're the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko!" Sakura nearly shouted out. Naruto almost stepped back, expecting her female teammate to recoil in horror, but not for the vehemence of her reaction. "I can't believe you! You stupid, reckless, crazy girl!"

"Huh?" The blonde's reaction was perfectly understandable. Fear normally wasn't expressed this way.

"What did the dobe do now?" The teme seemed resigned to the words.

"She's flirting with an enemy jinchuuriki," Sakura tattled, pointing accusingly at her female teammate.

"I'm not sure that I understand." The Uchiha looked almost physically pained by the admission. Naruto merely continued to gape at the pinkette.

"Naruto said that there was a monster inside of him, but that she didn't care because she had met an even bigger monster already," Sakura growled, "She was talking about the Kyuubi that was sealed into her as a baby. And even though her seal is probably stable, since she hasn't lost it and killed anyone by now, Sabaku no Gaara's seal is obviously not. But you asked him out on a date anyway!"

"The Kyuubi was sealed inside of you?" The dark-haired boy took from that rant.

"Er, yes?" Naruto looked awkwardly over at the pinkette, who had crossed her arms and resumed glaring at her, "I think that beats your Mangekyou threat, by the way. You could potentially kill us for power, but at least that's under your own power. If I lose control, then I could kill you by accident."

"Sakura said that your seal was stable, and you're too good of a person to attack anyone dobe," the teme frowned, "I'm an avenger. I can snap at any moment, and attack my team for power."

"Don't think so highly of yourself, teme," Naruto sniffed, "I'm a jinchuuriki. You can't kill me."

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun! Do you two have to argue about everything?" The pinkette demanded, "Listen to yourselves. You're fighting over who'll be more likely to kill the team!"

Ocean blue and coal black eyes exchanged a glance of mutual aggravation, and then looked away in discomfort when they realized that they had just connected. Naruto wondered how badly her confession had been skewed, when one teammate got angry about her love life, while the other utterly disregarded the danger she presented.

Sakura continued to fume. "I can't believe that you're willing to put your life in danger for a date!"

"In my defense, the teme just admitted that he was a power-hungry sociopath that could snap at any minute and kill you for stronger eyes, and you still called him 'Sasuke-kun'," Naruto pointed out.

The pinkette immediately deflated, and sounded forlorn. "Why is Team 7 so fucked up?"

Naruto grinned at that question, and even the Uchiha's mouth quirked upwards. "Well, the teme and I came clean. Do you have any deep, dark secrets to share Sakura?"

"I have a split personality that holds all of the anger and violence that I've suppressed in my childhood, okay?" Sakura snapped, "Got a problem with that?"

The blonde shook her head. "Nope. Not at all. How about you teme?"

"My Clan has a literal Curse of Hatred," the Uchiha said sardonically, "I would be a hypocrite if I did."

The pinkette flushed. "Yeah, well you, Naruto, are sharing your body with a demon and Sasuke-kun's special eyes are apparently psychic enough to tell whether or not he's killing a loved one. I'm not the only weirdo here."

"Then we should all be weirdoes together," the Uzumaki firmly stated, looking at the bedridden Uchiha, "Still going to ask for a reassignment?"

The teme met her gaze evenly. "Orochimaru's cursed seal deteriorates my mind, and I didn't have the best mental stability to begin with. More than once have I considered killing you to obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan. There are people out there that will hunt me for my eyes. If I stay on this team, then those are threats that you would have to deal with."

Naruto reached down to the bottom of her shirt, and pulled it halfway up. As she channelled her chakra, the thick, black lines of the Shiki Fuin appeared around her navel. "Honestly? I have some pretty good insurance. Can you handle being on a team with a literal demon holder?"

"My quirk is harmless." Their third teammate shrugged, "But I'm not going to abandon Team 7."

"Eh, the Shinobi Council wouldn't have listened to me anyway," the teme sighed. There was a certain lightness and warmth to his eyes that wasn't there before, as he looked at the two girls. Then he seemed to remember something, and frowned. "Wait. There's another jinchuuriki in these exams?"

Outside of the infirmary, Kakashi Hatake quietly hummed to himself, as he read the orange book in his hands. He kept one ear on the most recent argument that his two hot-headed students had started, before his third, slightly less combative, student ordered them both to stop fighting. In front of him was an active, glowing secrecy seal.

He didn't want anyone to listen to the valuable intel that his cute little genin were spewing as they bonded after all.

'The Mangekyou Sharingan, huh?' Kakashi thought, turning the page, 'I wonder if I have one.'

x

Sasuke Uchiha was restricted to the infirmary for the next three days, but since Naruto was a natural troublemaker, the teme hated hospitals, and Sakura was still clinging to her teammates, they decided to sneak the Uchiha back to the team's room instead. The pinkette insisted on rummaging through the room for additional supplies first though, since they were in need of another clean pillow and the standard issue blankets were terrible. Naruto wholeheartedly agreed to this.

In the end, Team 7 made a strange sight as they marched back to their room. Sakura was in the lead, holding a cushy pillow triumphantly in her hands. Sasuke was next, carrying nearly half of the medic's bandage rolls, blood pills, and antiseptic wipes. At the rear was a procession of Naruto clones carrying everything else they stole.

The Uchiha raised a single eyebrow at the cot arrangements. "The dobe is sleeping in the middle."

"Alright," Sakura agreed easily, bouncing forward to arrange their ill-gotten gains around the room.

When an appropriately fluffy nest had been made out of the extra pillows and blankets, the Uchiha sat down on the left cot, and pulled off his shirt. "What do you think dobe?"

"The upper left part makes you more suspicious of other people," Naruto unsealed a sketch pad, an ink pot, and a fresh brush, as she sat behind the teme. "It's an inversion of the bottom right, which will make you more likely to trust the maker of the seal. Oh! This part is rather devious- I think it's supposed to inject a little of Orochimaru's corrupt chakra into your system, so you'll build up a dependency on it. My seal has something similar, but the alien nature of the Bijuu chakra makes it impossible to form an addiction."

Kakashi-sensei hadn't given much detail about the Curse Seal of Heaven, beyond 'it's bad, don't use it', so many of Naruto's observations were new to the Uchiha. Next to her was their pink-haired teammate, who was gritting her teeth, while jotting down the effects that the blonde mentioned. When the fuuinjutsu novice was done, the dark-haired preteen wanted to storm out of the room and set Orochimaru on fire, S-ranked Sannin or not.

Sakura's reaction was somewhat similar. "We need to get strong enough to kill that man. Him, and Itachi Uchiha."

"Is Team 7 going to make a record of all our mortal enemies now?" Naruto asked. She meant it as a joke, but the pink-haired girl merely nodded. And that was how, in Room 2C, the Blacklist was born.

After that, the teme stalked off to the shower, while Sakura decided to crack open one of the few medical books they found in the infirmary. Naruto had settled down in the center of the blanket nest, still studying the deviously complicated seal, when a knock was heard from the door.

"I'll get it," the blonde announced, picking up one of her last shock card- and making a note to draw up some more- and opening the door. Her chakra sensor ability recognized someone familiar on the other side of the door, but she didn't put the warm sun rays and brisk wind to a name, until Temari's dark green eyes looked back at her.

"Temari-senpai!" Naruto was startled.

A nervous smile crossed the dusky blonde's face. "Hello Naruto."

"What are you doing here?" the Uzumaki asked, widening the door and placing her card away. The Suna genin's eyes flickered past her shoulder, and then bugged out at the huge pile of blankets.

"How did you get that?" Temari looked envious, "Our room only has one pillow and thin blanket for each of us. Is this Konoha favoritism?"

"We stole them," Naruto admitted, not surprised to see the other girl nod approvingly, "Hey Sakura, do we have any spares?"

The pinkette didn't bother to look up from her heavy medical textbook to point at the floor. There were four pillows and two blankets remaining, and the wind user looked exceedingly pleased when Naruto placed them in her arms. A roll of bandages, a general poison antidote, and a case of blood replenisher pills were also gracefully accepted.

"I wanted to talk to you," Temari confessed, her eyes still rather nervous, "About what you said…?"

"It's fine. My team already knows about my jinchuuriki status," the blonde assured, stepping outside, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sakura's face rose up. "We expect her back in perfect condition," she informed Temari.

"I don't think there's anything I can do to a jinchuuriki," the older girl replied, before Naruto closed the door. Holding on to her newfound supplies, Temari led them to a deserted corner of the stairway, and then stood opposite of her. For a minute, she just stared at the Uzumaki without saying anything.

"Soooo… are we going to have that conversation today?" Naruto rubbed the back of her neck.

The dark green eyes continued to study her thoughtfully. "You're so normal."

Naruto's lips curled upwards, as her companion seemed to realize what she had said.

"No, no, no, I don't mean it like that!" Temari shook her head, frustrated, "It's just- you weren't any different from the other Leaf nin! No one called you a monster, or feared you. I thought you were a normal kunoichi. I wouldn't have even guessed that you were like Gaara, if you hadn't told us."

The amusement in the ocean-blue eyes faded. "Is that what they do? Call him a monster?"

The accusation in her eyes made the Suna kunoichi recoil. There was a rattle on the floor as Temari dropped her supplies, and brought one hand up to rub at her eyes. Naruto felt her anger melt away to sympathy at the other girl's clear anguish.

"You don't understand," the dusky blonde said, blinking her eyes rapidly, "Gaara isn't like you. His seal is unstable. Being a jinchuuriki changed him."

"What do you mean?" There was an almost morbid curiosity rising in her about the redhead's life.

"Gaara used to be such a sweet child," Temari explained, "He was shy and soft-spoken. He never wanted to hurt anyone, but when he got scared, his sand would lash out. It started happening more and more, until it killed his main caretaker. Then Gaara became cold-blooded and inhumane. He killed anyone that slighted him; he started to take pleasure from the act. No one else mattered to him."

"It changed me too," Naruto spoke softly, "Not even the best seal will prevent a Bijuu's nature from influencing his Host. I don't know how much of my aggression or cunning could be attributed to the Kyuubi, but I wasn't this… ruthless, when I was a child."

She was surprised to find a bitter laugh come out of Temari's lips. "Even better. You have a Bijuu with eight more tails of power than my brother, but you're still sane and relatively normal."

"I'm from the Uzumaki Clan, and my seal was one of their last masterworks," Naruto sighed, "The Yondaime improved on the original design, and, when the Kyuubi attacked, that seal was used."

Mildly hesitant, the blonde continued. "I didn't have the best childhood, but there were people that cared for me. The Old Man, my little brother, an Academy sensei, Ita- a friend, and some restaurant vendors gave me the strength to fight against my Bijuu's hatred. And now I have a team that knows about the Kyuubi, but cares for me anyway. Knowing that someone will accept you, regardless of your seal, is important. Gaara would do more to resist his Bijuu, if he knew that people cared for him."

"How can I do that?" Temari asked, a little plaintively, "Most of the village is terrified of him, and my family isn't much better. Kankuro tries to care, but he's terrified of Gaara. And my Father turned him into a weapon, but can't be bothered to speak more than two words to him at a time. It's only me, and the more I push forward, the angrier Gaara gets."

Naruto's brow furrowed. "Did you say that your Father turned Gaara into a weapon?"

The dusky blonde nodded. "Shukaku isn't as strong as the Kyuubi, so we had sealed him into a pot. But Suna was a lot weaker after the last war, and the Kazekage decided that we needed a jinchuuriki. My brother was chosen to be the vessel."

'Compared to that, Dad's actions seem downright saintly,' Naruto thought. "Then there are at least two people that care for him now. You want to help Gaara, and so do I."

Temari's dark green eyes filled up with gratitude. "When we first met, I thought you were insane for talking back to Gaara. But even then your words seemed to get through to him, since the way you acted was so novel. And now, as another jinchuuriki, you may be one of the only people that he would listen to. Please don't let him scare you away."

A smirk crossed the whiskered girl's face. "Not a chance. After all, I haven't gotten my date yet."

A short, somewhat strangled, laugh came out of the girl's throat. "I think that's what freaked Kankuro out the most. He was unintentionally flirting with a jinchuuriki."

"Not very well," Naruto snorted, "Come on. Do you want me to escort you to your room?"

"I think I can handle that myself," Temari stood up. Despite her puffy eyes and red face, there was an open, confident smile on her face. "Gaara can't sleep because of Shukaku. And he prefers to sit in high areas during the night. You know what I mean?"

Naruto nodded. "Got it. Ambush him under the moonlight, and steal a date when he's too sleep-deprived to say 'no'."

"I was thinking 'talk to him about being a jinchuuriki', but your plan works too," Temari grinned, "I'll see you later, Naruto Uzumaki."

x

When the Uzumaki returned to the room, she waved away Sakura's curious gaze, and crawled into the bed. Drawing up a blanket to avoid the room's harsh white lights, Naruto closed her eyes. 'Kyu, can we talk?'

Her partner sounded incredibly grumpy as he replied. 'Oh, so now you remember me? When the other ningen are too busy to talk to?'

The blonde set a feeling of mild exasperation to the fox. 'Kyu, my team and I may be getting along better, but you're still my best friend. In fact, I think you might be my soulmate!'

Kurama snorted. 'That joke wasn't funny six years ago, and it still isn't funny now.'

'Why are you so mean to me?' the blonde whined.

'I am the Kyuubi, brat. I am filled with hatred and fury beyond your mortal comprehension.'

'The dramatics are beyond my understanding too, though I think the teme can relate.'

'Comparing me to the Uchiha will not gain my forgiveness, brat.'

'Kyu, you're as likely to accept an apology, as you are to make one. What did you think of today?'

'That you brought me great shame when you reached an understanding with the Uchiha.'

'Okay, but what about Temari's words? Do you think we can help Gaara?'

'That's difficult to say, brat. From his chakra-scape, I would say that he has a strong will, but that can easily work against us. He may not want to be saved.'

'His eyes were filled with the same loneliness and pain from my own childhood, Kyu. Who could refuse companionship after that?'

'People who do not believe that they deserve any better. It is a foolish notion that you ningen have.'

'Can you tell me anything about his Bijuu?'

'Hmm, it has been many years since I have seen Shukaku. His nature is as capricious and mercurial as the sand that he commands. However, I do not believe that he was always so mad.'

'What do you mean?'

'Not all seals are made equal, brat. My first and second jinchuuriki preferred to keep me in constant pain to limit my influence. Your prison was an improvement, but even that was uncomfortable and cramped before your modifications.'

The blonde Uzumaki felt guilt squirm inside of her stomach, as her partner referred to her mother and great-aunt's seals. Before she could apologize, the minute traces of demonic chakra in her system spiked upward and reminded her of one simple truth. Kurama absolutely despised other people's pity.

'Shukaku's first jinchuuriki was a kind-hearted priest that treated him as an equal, but his second one was senseless and cruel, even for you ningen. He would steal his Bijuu's power with impunity, which is something that I am fortunate to have never experienced. The seal would force him into a tiny, pitch-black room without any access to the outside world. The constant pain and sensory deprivation eventually drove him mad.'

Naruto gulped, trying to force back her tears. 'I see. Is that why he tries to drink everyone's blood?'

'Shukaku's hatred of humanity did not inspire his bloodlust. His own power is derived from blood, and he drinks it as a restorative.'

'Then… then, Shukaku is trying to regain his sanity?'

Kurama sent back a feeling that could roughly be equated to a shrug. 'Perhaps, brat. I would not claim to understand my inferior brethren.'

Naruto ignored the insult. She didn't even think that her partner meant it maliciously. For Kurama, insulting another being was practically an ingrained reflex. 'Kyu, I have an idea…'

x

Omake

Team 7 had ended up reading Icha Icha due a strange set of connections. The second exam was over, and Sasuke wanted to learn more about Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin. Naruto, having grown up on stories of the Old Man's team, recounted all of the information she knew, including the fact that the Snake's former teammate was the famous Spymaster Jiraiya. Sakura then made an observation.

"Jiraiya… as in the author of Kakashi-sensei's perverted books?" the pinkette asked.

"Well, it's not like it's a common name," Naruto said slowly, an odd expression crossing her face, "You don't think that he also penned that hentai…?"

"If he did, then it must have been for a good reason," Sasuke responded grimly, "He's a Spymaster. He's probably hiding secret codes in them."

"The Old Man said that Jiraiya spent a lot of his time tracking Orochimaru's activities," Naruto mused. "That could be the information in the book."

"Then it makes sense why a shinobi like Kakashi-sensei would read them!" Sakura was delighted. Her sensei wasn't a random pervert after all!

"Then we're going to read them too," the teme decided.

Sakura, who had the best eye for detail, had been elected to put on a Henge, and stroll into the bookstore. When she came out, there was a small blush to her face but also an expression of determination. Five minutes later, three anxious preteens were sitting on Naruto's bed, as a lurid orange cover sat innocently before them.

"We might as well start," Sakura broke first, reaching forward and flipping the first page over.

When they were done…

"Who could possibly want breasts that large?" Naruto was disgusted, "The added weight would make taijutsu much more difficult."

"An hour's worth of continuous orgasms cannot possibly be healthy," Sakura shuddered, "Think of the nerve damage to your sexual organs!"

"That penis could be a target all on its' own," the Uchiha scowled, "This is so unrealistic."

The blonde looked at her pink-haired teammate. "What do you think? Inferiority complex?"

"Probably," Sakura confirmed, "With a healthy dose of sexual ignorance and fantasy projection."

"A drunkard, a pedophile, and now, an impotent loser," the dark-haired boy sighed, "At least the Snake Sannin was confident enough in his own masculinity to dress up like a woman."

x

When I started this story, I expected to characterize one female Naruto and apply her to both the Threads of Fate and Another Shade of Blue storylines. By now, it seems that the characters have diverged, because this Naruto is far more socially perceptive, ruthless, flirty, and (kind-of) fangirlish than the ToF Naruto. She's more proactive about her love life too, so this will shape up into a Princess Charming kind of story (incidentally, the song that I'm listening to, as I write this, is 'Princess Charming' by Megan and Liz). Gaara is going to be swept off his feet.

Also, about the preliminaries, do you want it to follow the standard format, or have entirely new battles? Not every fight will be explained in detail, but I'll definitely cover Naruto's one.